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Meeting the Granddaughter

Posted by eph21920 on August 26, 2015 in Baby, Children, Family, Grateful, Happiness, Relationship, Travel

I finally made it safe and sound to my son’s house to see my new granddaughter. There was no problem traveling and the weather was good all the way. When I got to their house, there were hugs and tears all around. First my son, then the baby, my daughter-in-law, the baby, the grandsons, the baby. Of course, she is adorable at all of 1 week old, and is the center of attention. Her brothers are already doting over her. As I fed her tonight, it is just like I did with my boys and grandsons. Even though they are completely different unique people, babies are so similar in their behaviors. And they have that sweet new baby smell and are so cuddly. When I held her, I just automatically went into “rocking” mode. I am just so grateful and happy to be here.

On the flip side, my sister went to help take care of my parents. When she was there this evening, she fell and broke her leg. She has to have surgery tomorrow. I couldn’t even believe it. There seems to be more than our fair share of happenings around there. I’m not sure what it is all about, but I ask for your prayers – for a good outcome to my sister’s surgery, healing for my mom and dad, for safety for my parents, family, and caretakers.

I Found God today in being able to meet and hold my new granddaughter, and be with my son and his family.

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This Just Might Happen

Posted by eph21920 on August 25, 2015 in Family, Healing, Travel

I planned on taking a trip to see my new grand daughter leaving tomorrow. Today started out with a usual unexpected happening. My mom woke up with a very red eye. It had been bothering her for a couple of days as it felt scratchy and irritated. But today it looked as though someone punched her in the eye. She called her doctor for an appointment, but the only time he could see her is when she had therapy already scheduled. She could see out of it fine, it did not hurt, there was nothing coming out of it, and she felt good otherwise, so we figured it would be ok until the next day when the doctor could see her. However, when she went to therapy, her therapist recommended that it be seen asap. Well – that scared my mom, so we decided to get her into an emergicare type place. My dad had an appointment to get his hand looked at, so I took him there and my brother took my mom to the emergency center. We reconvened at home. My dad’s thumb is healing well. My mom broke a blood vessel in her eye, but it will heal on it’s own in a couple weeks. So – I got myself packed up, gave hugs and kisses, and headed to my sister’s for the night as it is closer to the airport. I think this might actually happen . . .

I Found God today in taking care of my parents so I can take an anticipated trip.

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Mom and Me Day

Posted by eph21920 on August 24, 2015 in Family, Fun, Grateful

They have been doing some work on the road in the complex we live in. Today they were seal coating the side right next to our home. My mom had voice therapy, so we were trying to figure out how that was going to work. I had parked the car outside of the complex in preparation, but the place is surrounded by a fence and there are no walkways leading to the outside. Luckily, we were able to sneak out of the house just in the nick of time. The workers had already spread some tar into some cracks, so we had to watch our step, but we were able to make our way to a place where I could pick up my mom with the car. Evidently, they came by right after we left and sprayed the seal coat. We had lots of time before my mom’s appointment, so we decided to go to the mall and see if we could find her some new shoes that don’t hurt her feet. We did buy a pair and are hoping they work out. By the time we got back to the car, there was barely enough time to eat lunch before the appointment. I had spotted a Sonic nearby and commented that we could go there. I haven’t been to one and I thought it would be fun. We pulled in and placed our order. The food was delivered by a roller skating young man and I did enjoy the experience. I thanked my mom for indulging me. At the voice therapy, we had a great conversation with the therapist who taught us a lot about Parkinson’s that we did not know. And my mom had to tell another joke. It was hysterical as she got to the punch line again and mixed it up even though she was reading it from a paper. Once we left there, we decided to use up some more time, so we went to the Christian bookstore. We looked around and found a couple of things. After that, my mom was done so we made our way back home. The seal coat was dry by this time, so we were able to get back over it with little problem. It was very enjoyable spending an impromptu day with my mom.

I Found God today in an unexpected day spend with my mom.

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Loving Choices

Posted by eph21920 on August 23, 2015 in Faith, Love, Service, Struggles

I started my day off a little unsettled. I allowed negative thoughts and past hurts get into my head. Once they are there, I have a hard time shaking them off. So I looked forward to going to church and praying that God would get me on the right track. Unfortunately, my parents did not feel up to going to Mass today, so I went by myself. I sat up close to the front as that helps me to stay engaged and focused. The first reading from Joshua described how the Israelites were tempted to follow the gods of the Amorites as it looked more appealing to them. Joshua reminded the people how good God had been to them by leading them out of slavery and into the land He promised to them. They had all their needs met – but some of them wanted more. Joshua gave them the opportunity to make their choice. This scripture has one of the most popular lines that you see on plaques and things – “As for me and my household, we shall serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15. The second reading was from Ephesians 5:21-32. It is one of the more controversial scriptures as it starts with wives being subordinate to their husbands. But the reading goes on to explain how husbands should treat their wives – they should love them as they love themselves. The priest explained that both these readings are all about choosing to love. Love is more than a “feeling” – it is a choice to serve others – to put their needs before your own. The one line that stood out to me most when he was speaking was, “To love is to serve and to serve is to love.” It helped me to see my past hurts and my current situation in a different light. The reality is that painful actions from others were unloving choices that they made. I cannot control what choices other people make, but I can control how I choose to love. God has always supplied what I need, even though sometimes I want more – just like the Israelites. I need to be reminded every now and again of that fact and choose again to serve the Lord by loving and serving others.

I Found God today in being able to give my negative thoughts over to God at church and gaining a renewed sense of how to love.

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Letting It Out

Posted by eph21920 on August 22, 2015 in Family, Grateful, Love, Relationship, Struggles

By the time I ended my day yesterday, I had a headache, was exhausted, somewhat sad, and a little cranky. So I went out for a leisurely walk. I try not to put my problems on anyone, as I know everyone has struggles of their own. But I decided to call my sister. We chatted for a while and she asked what she could do to help. I replied that it was just helpful to let me vent every once in a while. So – she did. I went to bed early, said my prayers and clung tight to my rosary as I drifted off to sleep. This morning I woke up earlier than I have in quite some time. I took a nice long walk and did some yoga to start my day. I was grateful to have a much better mindset and positive energy. I spent the day getting some much needed cleaning accomplished. It didn’t even bother me when the usual unexpected things popped up to be taken care of. I was just so happy to be feeling better. Mostly, I was so thankful for my sister who allowed me to let it all out with no judgment.

I Found God today in the unconditionally loving relationship I have with my sister.

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Bubba

Posted by eph21920 on August 21, 2015 in Family, Humor, Laughter

Due to my mom’s Parkinson’s disease, her voice gets quieter and quieter. It also affects her facial and throat muscles. She has been going to voice therapy to help strengthen all of these and I often go with her and listen. Her homework for yesterday was to memorize a long joke, tell it to the family, and then re-tell it to the therapist today. It was going to be a challenge to begin with, as my mother has never been good at telling jokes. She usually forgets the punch line or gets it wrong – I think it is a family thing.We warned the therapist of this and she said to just do the best she could. My mom did a really good job at telling the joke to my dad and brother. They laughed and everything. When she went to therapy this morning, I was excited to hear her tell the joke to the therapist and was certain she was going to get it. She went through the whole story and when she got to the end . . . she forgot the punch line. We laughed and laughed so hard that my mom got the giggles and could not even try to get the last sentence out. Honestly, it was funnier than the joke. It was wonderful to hear my mom laugh so much. The joke was about a character named “Bubba”. To top off the day, on my way home from running errands, I passed a new restaurant that had a big Grand Opening sign up. The name of the restaurant was “Bubba’s”. When I got home and told the family, we laughed and laughed again.

I Found God today in humor and laughter.

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Unselfish Actions

Posted by eph21920 on August 20, 2015 in Family, Grateful

My brother came last week to stay with my parents as I had originally planned to take a trip to visit my children and grandchildren. When my dad fell, however, it was obvious that more care was needed at home, so I decided to postpone the trip. But my brother continued to stay at the house. He has been such a blessing. I cannot imagine trying to do all that has been needed without him. While I have taken my mom to therapy, he has been helping my dad at home. It is also wonderful to share the kitchen duties – and he is a pretty good cook! He and my dad talk about and do computer stuff. He comes at things with a different perspective as well, which is always helpful. While he could have just gone off and done his own thing, he chose to stick around and help do what is needed to be done for my parents. I am incredibly grateful.

I Found God today in the unselfish actions of my brother.

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She’s Here!

Posted by eph21920 on August 19, 2015 in Baby, Birthday, Creation, Family, Life, Miracle

We have been anxiously awaiting the delivery of my new grand daughter. My daughter-in-law was overdue by only a couple of days, but it was decided to induce her. Things went fairly slow for quite a few hours as I received updates every now and again. It is hard being so far away. I prayed all day long. Then of course everything went faster. I was just thinking that it must be time when I got a text with a picture of the newborn only a few minutes old. I knew my dad was still awake, so I went to show him the picture. We decided to wake up my mom so we could revel in the moment together. The picture was cut off just below her umbilical cord, so my dad asked if she was really a girl. We have been skeptical as there has not been a girl on the paternal side of the family for at least 5 generations. Then came the phone call. I could hear the pride and love in my son and daughter-in-law’s voices. I could also hear the beautiful sound of a newborn baby cry. Of course, I was already in tears by that point. We found out that she is indeed a girl. This morning I got pictures of her with her brothers who were just beaming. And there were pictures with my sons, daughter-in-law, her mother, and other family. I thought about what a change this little girl is going to make in the lives of all of these people – and more. What a miracle it is to witness the pregnancy and birth of this brand new person. I can’t wait to meet her in person and hold her.

I Found God today in the safe delivery of my new grand daughter in His own perfect time.

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His Little Buddy

Posted by eph21920 on August 18, 2015 in Friends, Grateful, Struggles

My dad is trying his best to recover from his fall and is improving a little at a time. He was feeling pretty bad today and having stomach issues – most likely due to the medication he has been taking. He has spent a lot of time lying down and resting. I was glad that he came to the table for dinner. He was still feeling pretty dragged out and it seemed to him that things were not going so well. We tried to reassure him that he is in fact getting better. Just then the phone rang. I was happy that my dad was up and answered the phone. It was a long time friend checking to see how he was doing. My dad uses the speaker phone, so I could hear most of the conversation. His friend calls him his “little buddy” – I guess this has been his nickname for him for a long time. The friend has been through a lot taking care of his wife for years as her health gradually declined. But he has an incredibly positive attitude. He encouraged my dad that he will be back to normal in no time. He said that he and the other guys were looking forward to seeing him soon up at the mountain home. My dad really appreciated the call and his spirits were lifted after the call.

I Found God today in the thoughtfulness and encouragement of a good friend that lifted my dad’s spirits.

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Trying to Make Plans

Posted by eph21920 on August 17, 2015 in Connected, Grace, Plan

Today I was talking with my daughter-in-law’s mother as we both await the birth of our new granddaughter. We talked about circumstances beyond our control. She said something that really touched me, “Life happens while we are making plans.” Isn’t that the truth? When I got married, I PLANNED on living a long, happy relationship and growing old with my husband. I did not anticipate a divorce. I PLANNED on going to school and becoming a nurse. Instead I had children and spent as much time as I could raising them. I PLANNED on living a financially comfortable life. However, the career I mostly chose was working for a church. I made just enough to get by as I needed. Since then, I sold almost all of what I owned to be with my parents and care for them. So, yes, Life happens while we are making plans. I learned that God has His own plans for my life. Through prayer and talking with people full of wisdom, I try to follow His path. Even though it may not be what I PLANNED for, I have found incredible blessings, peace, and joy. I have learned a lot by being on my own and have grown so much as an individual by doing some serious soul searching through the divorce. I am blessed to have been able to spend so much time with my kids when they were younger and would like to think that it benefited them as well. It is truly a blessing to be with my parents and help them. They have given all of themselves to my siblings and me for years. They deserve to be well cared for at this stage and I hope that I am able to do that. It is a joy to get to know them in a different way. While I don’t own much, I have everything I need. Finally, through my job in the church, I made lifelong friends. But more importantly, my relationship with God elevated to a level I didn’t even know was possible. I realized how much He loves me and all His children. I learned to lean on Him, to trust Him, to love Him and others. He changed my heart. I still try to make plans, but more easily accept when things don’t work out exactly as I would have planned.

I Found God today in remembering that if my plans don’t work out, God blesses the outcome if I trust in Him and follow His plan.

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